Devin Shoop

Biography

I was born and raised in Red Bluff, California, a small town close to the Oregon border. In high school, I flourished in and out of the classroom, keeping myself engaged as a student, athlete, musician, and member of the community. I played varsity basketball, ran track and cross country, and performed trumpet in concert and jazz band. For college, I attended U.C. Berkeley and graduated with honors in Classics, which is the study of Ancient Greek and Roman culture, literature, and philosophy. I strive to bring the balance, harmony, and educational commitment of Classical thinkers to my students in tutoring sessions.

I held several teaching and tutoring positions in college. I spent a semester teaching inmates at San Quentin State Prison who were studying for their GED. These sessions contained some of the most rewarding moments of my college career and opened my eyes to the many problems plaguing our country’s incarceration system. I also tutored my fellow students in writing at the Student Learning Center. Particularly gratifying were sessions with students who were part of the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) on campus. As each student I worked with possessed a different learning disability, I discovered that to be effective I would have to adjust my pedagogical technique according to the student’s learning style. While one of my students organized his thoughts most efficiently by engaging in the Socratic method, another was so visually inclined that our sessions consisted of covering the table with pages of notes and cutting out key words and sentences until possible paper ideas emerged from the scraps. While this is an extreme example, I believe that it is the tutor’s responsibility to determine the learning style of each student and adjust the teaching approach accordingly to fit his or her unique needs.

After college, I worked as a legal assistant at a small but well regarded law firm in San Francisco. I eventually earned a Dean Merit scholarship to a Top 15 law school. After a period of soul searching, I arrived at the realization that education is my true passion. Since then, I have excelled at helping my students realize success on standardized exams and in their academic coursework. The 1-on-1 academic environment at AJ is fantastic in its ability to foster individualized growth and a unique learning experience in each session.

In addition to providing tutoring, I have the privilege of advising students who are applying to college and law school. Coming from a rural community with limited resources for college-bound students, I witnessed firsthand how overwhelming the process can be for those without the assistance of an experienced professional. I now strive to make this process as smooth and straightforward as possible for my students. Whether through narrowing down a list of colleges to apply to, fine-tuning a personal statement, or simply making sure that the correct box is checked on the Common App, I look forward to providing support to your student throughout this journey!

In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, playing basketball, writing fictional horror stories, and debating the superiority of the Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter universes with friends and family.